This pasta salad brings me back to the days when my grandma, Isabel tossed a handful of red grapes and pasta together for a simple, yet delicious meal.
My sister and I couldn’t get enough of this.
It was just so darn good.
And so as I grew up, my mother made a similar red grape and pasta salad each week- kept it in our fridge and let us enjoy it for an afternoon snack before soccer practice or for a quick dinner if we had lots of homework.
My mom’s famous recipe involves tuna, red grapes, mayo and pasta however I’ve dolled this one up a bit differently…
More Amie style.
After going back n’ forth with a few different ideas, I decided to go with a sweet orange n’ grape pasta salad. It’s a bit different from the days when my grandma made it- but it’s just as tasty.
It’s a pretty bowl of gluten-free pasta, Greek plain yogurt, olive oil, orange zest, orange juice and fresh parsley.
Simple yet so satisfying.
Let me tell you, you’ll need a whole lotta this to serve at your Labor Day BBQ or picnic because everyone’s gunna want seconds.
There are a million and one variations of pasta salad on the internet but since I wanted to be unique and different from all the others- I thought the orange zest n’ juice would be the perfect addition without adding sugar or processed dressings.
You can surely taste the orange flavor but it’s not overwhelming. It’s a great spin on your classic pasta salad you see at every BBQ – so why not give it a shot and toss a few of these ingredients together for a Labor Day dish you surely won’t forget.
You’ll probably wanna make it again next week. And that’s actually a great idea.
Because with the kiddies heading back to school – you’ll need a simple meal like this to have on the table in under 10 minutes.
Not too shabby, eh?
It’s a sweet variation of those boring pasta salads you see in the store and would be great with a side of baked tortilla chips and strawberry lemonade.
But then again, what’s not great with a nice big ol’ glass of lemonade?
So, before you head on over to your fridge and pantry to whip up this pretty purple (polka dot) pasta salad, take a trip on over to visit my pal, Lori at Groovy Green Livin’. She has a few fun tips for you on how to Green your Labor Day BBQ.
- ½ pound gluten-free pasta
- 2 Tbsp. Greek Fat Free plain yogurt
- 1 tsp. orange zest
- 2 tsp. fresh orange juice
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound fresh red grapes
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; gently toss to combine.
- Transfer pasta salad to four serving bowls.
- Serve chilled.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Beautiful, Amie, as usual! Can’t wait to try this – and I just got a huge bag of grapes from the farmer’s market – they are so crisp and juicy! Miss you my dear! xoxo
Thanks darling! Miss you more and hope you enjoy this fun pasta salad.
Love the idea of adding grapes to this salad! They add a pop of color, not to mention a juicy crunchy. Counting down the minutes until our apple invasion
Thanks Kelly! They’re nice n’ sweet; so excited for our apple party next week. xox
This looks beautiful! Your pictures are so pretty. What kind of camera do you use?
Thank you Alaine; so nice to hear from you and thank you for your kind words! I use a Nikon D3100 and I love it. I bought it last year and it’s amazing; so fun to use and manageable. Hope that helps; have a great night!
Yum, what a great idea. I’ve haven’t tried grapes in a pasta salad…yet.
Shared on my Facebook page
Thanks so much Laureen; great to hear from you! Thank you for sharing this on your facebook page; have a wonderful night!
Wonderful recipe. love your fantastic guidance!!
Awe; thank you so much Charlene. I am so happy to hear from you! Have a great weekend. xo
Annie,
My 13 year old son has been recently diagnosed with soy, gluten & oats allergies. I am seeking a GF pasta that tastes great chilled. Please tell me which brand you use in this dish!! I have tried so many in the past few months that didn’t pass his taste test. Many thanks for your wonderful recipes!
I used Tru Roots Gluten-Free Penne pasta. Their products are amazing and I love them all. Have you tried them? They have numerous products such as lentils and mung beans too! Hope that helps. Have a great weekend Lynn; always happy to help you as I too have the same allergies and dairy as you son! xoox
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